Buffalo Bills complained to NFL about facing so many opponents who are coming off extra rest

The Buffalo Bills’ 3-7 record may not be their fault, guys. In fact, the team’s poor record may not even be a direct result of injuries to key players like quarterback EJ Manuel and running back CJ Spiller. If you want the perfect excuse, just blame the schedule.

During his weekly appearance on WGR Sportsradio 550 on Wednesday, Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon said the team has contacted the league to complain about scheduling. More specifically, the Bills are upset that so many of their opponents have faced them on extra rest, either because of a Thursday night game the previous week or a bye week.

“We certainly have talked to the league about this because it’s been disappointing where teams are coming off a bye or a long week,” Brandon said, via the Bills official website. ”This (Sunday) is the second time we’re playing the Jets coming off a Thursday night game and now we’re playing them coming off a bye. We lead the league in amount of games coming off of extra time or a bye week. It is a very, very tough job what they have in scheduling with all the different things that go into the formula and the stadium commitments and TV schedules, but it’s certainly something that needs to be addressed.”

You can certainly make the argument that teams are at an advantage when they have extra time to prepare for their upcoming opponent. The Bills have six games this season — three against AFC East foes — in which their opponents benefit from extra rest. The Atlanta Falcons have the second most games under those circumstances, and they only have four.

A legitimate gripe? Maybe, but it’s not the reason the Bills are 3-7. Injuries have been an issue and they aren’t very good to begin with. Bad luck and poor play sometimes go hand-in-hand.